Process of knitting a non-run fabric



'Oct. 11, 1960 R. STUCK! PROCESS OF KNITTING A NON-RUN FABRIC 9 Sheets-Sheet- 1 Filed July 3, 1956 a are INVENTOR. R0 bQI'T 51w; Ki

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Oct. 11, 1960 R. STUCK! 2,955,444

PROCESS OF KNITTING A NON-RUN FABRIC Filed July 3, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. R bel'f Sf'uc Oct. 11, 1960 R. STUCK! 2,955,444

PROCESS OF KNITTING A NON-RUN FABRIC Filed July 3, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. /3A FIG /35 INVENTOR.

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PROCESS OF KNITTING A NON-RUN FABRIC Filed July 3, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 I F/Ggg/7 G .q

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Oct. 11, 1960 R. sTucKl 2,955,444

PROCESS KNITTING A NON-RUN FABRIC Filed July 3, 1956 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 and with the present day development of the tates 2,955,444 PROCESS OF KNITTING AVNON-RUN FA'BRIC Robert Stucki, "68 Peter St, Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada I Filed July 3, 1956, Ser. No. 595,714

'3 Claims. or. 66-96) The present invention relates to the art of knitting. More particularly, the present invention relates to the knitting of non-run fabrics which are used, for example, i

such a stocking keeps twisting during the time that it is worn, and as a consequence it is very uncomfortable and diflicult to maintain in a position where it extends longitudinally of the leg without twisting thereon. Furthermore, the present day development of the art of knitting non-run fabrics does not permit an entire blank of a stocking to be knitted with a non-run fabric. It is only possible to knit up to the toe portion of the stocking, art it is necessary to attach to a blank of non-run fabric a special toe portion which is not made of a non-run fabric, so that ladies stockings at the present time do not have the non-run fabric at the toe portion thereof, and the same is true of the welt of the stocking.

-A further disadvantage of non-run fabrics as they are known today is that it is impossible to providesmooth selvedges. The reason for this is that with the known processes for knitting non-run fabrics, it is not possible to transfer the loops at theends of a given course inwardly onto inner loops, and as a result fashioning is carried outat the present time with non-run fabrics simply by leaving loose loops at the ends of the courses. These loose loops provide a very rough selvedge, and as a result when a stocking blank. is sewn together at its side edges to form a stocking, the seam is very rough and of a very poor appearance as well as very uncomfortable to the wearer.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide 1 a process for knitting a non-run fabric which is characterized by great simplicity, speed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a non-run fabric which will not twist undesirably when it is used for a ladys stocking, for example.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a. stocking blank and a process for making the same which renders it possible to make the entire blank of non-run fabric including the toe and welt portions thereof.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide fashioning at the edges of a blank of non-run fabric without sacrificing smoothness of the selvedges.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a spreading point for use in a knitting process which is highly suitable for making a superior non-run fabric.

Still another object of the smoothness of operation, and

are known at the present time, but.

asse t ny st pn sier a-I 'the fabric during the appended claims.

. 2 vide a knitting process in which a blank can be widened without using narrowing points.

With the abovelobjects in view the present invention mainly consists of a process for knitting a non-run fabric, and this process including the steps of spreading the loops of each course in a direction opposite to that in which the loops of the immediately preceding course were spread. Also, in accordance with the process of the invention, fashioning is carried out by transferring the end loops of a given course of inner loops of this course so that a smooth selvedge is maintained. Thus, with the process of the present invention it is possible to provide a stocking which is composed in its entirety of non-run fabric and in which the loops of each course are inclined oppositely to the loops of the immediately preceding and the immediately following course, so that the stocking will have no tendency to turn during the wearing thereof. of a spreading point which has an upper shank portion provided with a longitudinal groove at the front side thereof and having a bottom shank portion extending downwardly from the bottom end of the groove and offsetrearwardly from the upper shank portion.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be'best understood from the following description of specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a spreading point according to the present invention;

I Fig. 2 shows the spreading point of Fig. l as seen from i the right side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 ofFig. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

Figs. 4A-l1A respectively illustrate in fragmentary side elevational views the positions which the knitting structure takes during the performance of the knitting process of the present invention; 7

.Figs. 4B 11B respectively illustrate the condition of knitting thereof at the times when the parts have the positions respectively shown in Figs. 4A-11A, Figs. 5B-1 1B .alsoillustrating some of the knitting structure in the positions which it takes with respect to the fabric;

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the movement of the needles; V

Fig. 13A shows the movement of a spreading point when it is shifting to the right; i

Fig. 13B diagrammatically illustrates the shifting of "the spreading points when they shift to the left;

Fig. 14 diagrammatically illustrates the movement of the knockover bits during the knitting according to the process of the present invention; 7

Figs. 15-22 respectively'illustrate various stages in the fashioning process'used in'conjunction with the present invention; 7

Fig. 23 is a side elevational view of a stocking made according to the present invention; and V Fig. 24 is a view of a blank used to make the stocking of Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 3, it will be seen that the spreading points which are used in'the present invention are each composed of an upper portion 25 which to a spreading point bar points extend downwardly and are located in a row which extends laterally across the machine. 'Each spreading point is provided with an upper shank portion 26 which extends downwardly from p he p et r is 25 thereof a d which is. Provi ed in.

Patented Oct. 11, 1960' Also, the present invention includes the provision.

its front face with a longitudinally extending groove 27. The spreading points also include a bottom portion 28 which terminates in a point 29. The bottom portion 28 of the shank of the spreading point extends in the same general direction as the shank portion 26 downwardly from the latter and downwardly from the bottom open end of the groove 27. Furthermore, as is evident from Fig. 1, the bottom portion 28 of the shank is offset rearwardly with respect to the upper portion 26. The nature of the groove 27 is shown most clearly in Fig. 3. As is particularly evident from Fig. 2, the bottom shank portion 28 of the spreading point of the present invention is of a lesser thickness than the upper shank portion 26. Furthermore, as may be seen from Fig. l, the bottom pointed end 29 of the spreading point is not curved forwardly. Such a forward curve is necessary where the spreading points are used not only for spreading but also as the points of a picot bar. However, with the present invention a separate picot bar and points connected to the same are provided, so that the spreading points may have the construction shown in Fig. 1 where their bottom ends do not curve forwardly, and as a result it is possible to freely insert the spreading points of the invention into loops of relatively small size forwardly of the needles which are in these loops. This is not possible where the bottom point of the spreading point curves forwardly, because then the width of the spreading point only permits it to enter the loop beside the needles therein.

The knitting process of the present invention as well as the fabric produced thereby will now be described in connection with Figs. 4A-11B. Referring to Fig. 4B, it will be seen that the courses 30 and 31 have been completed previously and the course 32 has just been completed. In each course the loops have a figure 8 configuration. It will be noted that each loop is therefore composed of a pair of closed loop portions 33 and 34. The lower closed loop portions 34 pass through the upper loop portions 33 of a pair of adjacent loops of the next preceding course, so that in this way the loops are locked together. Furthermore, the thread portion 35 which forms the end of each loop extends from the right end of each loop in courses 30 and 32 to the left end of the next loop. It will be noted that just the reverse is true of the courses 31 which alternate with the courses 30 and 32 in that in the courses 31 the end of each loop extends from the left side thereof to the right side of the next loop. With this arrangement each loop is securely locked at both of its ends so that the fabric cannot run.

In forming an additional course, the thread carrier which is not shown in the drawing lays the thread along the rear sides of the needles, these needles extending upwardly through and beyond the just completed course 32. As the thread carrier moves laterally along the machine laying the thread behind the row of upwardly extending needles, the jacks are actuated to move the sinkers forwardly just after the thread is laid, the sinkers being located between every other pair of needles. After the sinkers have been moved forwardly the dividers are moved forwardly by actuation of the catch bar, and the needles are moved forwardly slightly, and the parts are shown in this position in Fig. 4A. Thus, referring to Fig. 4A it will be seen that the spreading points 36 are located upwardly and forwardly of the needles 37 which extend through the loops of the course 32 which has just been completed, the knockover bits 38 having the position shown in Fig. 4A, and as is shown in Fig. 4A the sinkers and dividers 39 are also located forwardly so that the thread is now in a wavy form extending between the several needles 37.

Now the needles are moved downwardly, and during this downward movement their beards 40, which are spring beards, engage the front edge 41 of the press members 42, so that the beards close, andthe thread which has been just laid along the needles by the thread carrier and moved forwardly by the sinkers and dividers is now pulled by the needles 36 through the loops of the previously completed course to form the plain loops which are illustrated in Fig. 513. It will be noted from Fig. 5A that the points 36 have started to move down, while the sinkers and dividers 39 have been retracted to their rest position, the catch bar being lowered to engage the sinkers so that the latter are retracted together with the dividers. Also, it will be noted that the knockover bits 38 have a special construction. According to the presen invention they are provided with noses 43, and the knockover bits are moved forwardly after the needles 36 slip down through the previously completed loops so that the latter loops are engaged by the knockover bits between the newly formed plain loops 44, and as a result these plain loops 44 are stretched so that they have the configuration shown in Fig. 5B. In providing the plain loops 44 shown in Fig. 5B, the needles 36 which have been lowered move rearwardly and the knockover bits 38 move forwardly so as to stretch the loops.

The points 36 are now lowered so that they extend through all of the loops 44, as is shown in Fig. 68. It will be noted that with the machine of the invention there are as many spreading points 36 as there are needles 37, and the spreading points 36 are in the same planes with the needles, as is evident from Fig. 6B, so that when the points 36 descend through the loops as shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, there is a point 36 located forwardly of each needle 37.

At this time the spreading points 36 are shifted to the left, as viewed in Fig. 6B, through a distance which is slightly less than one-half the distance between each pair of successive needles 37. The points 36 can only be moved through this fractional part of the distance between each pair of successive needles because the knockover bits 38 are located at the same elevation as the points 36 and prevent the movement of the latter through a distance equal to that between each pair of successive needles. When they have been moved over to this position, which is indicated in Fig. 7B, the needles 37 move forwardly from the position shown in Fig. 6B, they move past the points 36, as shown in Fig. 7B, and they continue to move forwardly till they reach the position shown in Fig. 8B. It will be noted from Fig. 7A and Fig. 8A, that during this time the points 36 remain relatively stationary, while the needles move past and forwardly beyond the points, and at the same time the knockover bits 38 are moving downwardly until they reach the position shown in Fig. 9A, where they are located at a lower elevation than the points 36. At this time the points 36 can be again shifted to the left, as viewed in Fig. 9B through the remainder of the distance between each pair of successive needles, and the parts now have the position shown in Figs. 10A and 10B. It will be noted that with the parts in this position the points 36 have been shifted from their original position so that each point 36 is now in alignment with a needle next to that with which it was aligned when it first entered through the plain loops 34. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 9A and with needles and points aligned as shown in Fig. 10B, the points and needles move downwardly, as may be seen by a comparison of Figs. 9A and 10A, and also the needles approach the points, respectively, the needles being tilted forward slightly, as is evident particularly from Fig. 10A. Also, it will be noted that the knockover bits 38 move up to engage the fabric so as to allow the needles to move forwardly into the grooves of the points, respectively, while the needles are at a slightly lower elevation than the fabric, and the parts will then have the position shown in Figs. 11A and 11B where the new course of loops is completed except that the points and needles have not yetbeen moved upwardly. The points andneedles are moved upwardly at this time, so that the points niove upwardly through and beyond the loops back to.

their starting position at the elevation shown in Fig. 4A, and the needles also move upwardly, the fabric being prevented from moving upwardly with the needles .by the knockover bits as well as by the sinkers and dividers which are moved forwardlyat this time. Thus, a new course of loops is formed having the same configuration as the previously formed course of loops but inclined in an opposite direction to the same.

It will be noted that in the formation of the above described course of loops the points have been shifted to the left. The points remain in this position and the next course of loops is knitted in exactly the same way except that the points shift to the right. This is. the manner in which each course has-its loops inclined in a direction opposite to the inclination of the immediately preceding positely to the loops of the next preceding and next rot,

lowing courses. Furthermore, each of the loops is locked at both of its ends, in the manner described above, so that the fabric will-not run, and for this reason the fabric of the invention is ings.

that less material is required to make an article of the same'dimensions as an article knitted in a conventional manner, and furthermore the time for manufacture of I the fabric is reduced because of the lesser amount of material which is required to be handled. Also, it'will be noted that with the process of the invention the spreading points shiftfirst in one direction during theformation of one course, then they remain in their end positions at the end of the formation of this one course, and from this end position they start and shift in the opposite direction during the formation of themother;

course. Thus, it is never necessary to relocate or adjust the positions of the points. They simply shift first in one direction during the formation of one course then in an opposite direction during the formation of the next course and this feature also provides .a great saving of time as well as smoothness of operation. y

' Because of this feature of providing'loops in one course of the fabric which are inclined. oppositely to the loops of the next preceding and next tendency of the fabric to twist is counteracted, and halfanced out by the opposite inclinations of the. successive courses, and thereforewhen the fabric of the invention is used for an article such as a ladys stocking, the stocking cannot turn during theuse thereof. g

Fig. 12 shows diagrammaticallythe path of movement of each needle .duri g the knitting'of a course of the fabric. The needles start at point 50 and move downwardly' toward the point 51, at which time the new thread has become located under the beards of the needles. Then the needles continue to move downwardly but they also move rearwardlyand'whenthey have reached the point 52 they are engaged by the pressmernbers 42 which close the beards. the press members, the needles continue to move downwardly so as to form the plain loops, and now the needles alsomove forwardly, as-is evident from a comparison of Figs. 4A and 5B. However, at this time the knockover bits also move forwardly to engage the fabric so as to stretch theplain loops 44. The stretching of the fabric by the knockover bits so' as to form the elongated loops 44, takes 'place at the point 53. When the needles have reached the point 54 the parts are in the" position a and immediately following course. The sinkers and dividers are of course retracted when theparticularly suited for ladies stock- With the process of the invention the loops are larger than the plainloops of a conventional fabric so following course, the

Then while in engagement with shown in Fig. 8A., At this time the needles move upwardly'together with the points, as may be seen from a comparison of Figs. 8A and 9A, and when the needles have reached the point 55, they are in the position shown in Fig. 9A, and of course at this time the points can shift through the remainder of the distance between'each pair of successive needles. The needles then move down to the point 56 whichcorresponds to the position of the parts'shown in Fig. 10A and the needles then continue to move downwardly slightly and forwardly, as may be seen from a comparison of Figs. 10A and 11A, and when the needles have the position-shown in Fig. 11A they are located at point 57 shown in Fig. 12. At this time the needles move upwardly together with the points, and when the needles reach the point 58 they have entered into the spaces between the sinkers and dividers which prevent the fabric from moving upwardly with the needles which continue to move upwardly back to the starting point 50.

Fig; 13A and Fig. 13B respectively illustrate the movement of the spreading points as they shift to the right, and as they shift to theleft', respectively. Considering Fig. 13A, it will be seen that each spreading point starts at the point 60 and then moves downwardly to the point 61, and when the point 61 has been reached the several spreading points have passed throughthe plain loops 44 and are extending at the bottom end portions downwardly beyond these loops, as is evident from Figs. 6A and 6B. Then the several spreadingpoints shift to the right to the point 62, which is less than one-half the distance between a pair of successive needles from the I point '61. Then the points move upwardly to the point 63, in order to clear'the knockover bits, and then they move through their remaining distance to the right, as viewed in Fig. 13A, to the point 64. Thus, the horizontal distance between points 61 and 64in Fig. 13A represents the distance between a pair-of successive needles, Having reached the point 64 where the several spreading points are aligned with the next needles, the spreading points move downwardly to the point 65, and at this time they havethe position shown in Fig. 11A where the needles move forwardly into the grooves of the spreading. points, and then the latter move first slightly forwardly and then rearwardly while moving up back to the point 66. This point 66 is the starting point. for the formation of the nextv courseof loops, and thus this point 66 is shown in Fig. 13B. The points during the knitting of-the next course move successively, in the manner shown in Fig. 13B, through the points 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, which respectively correspond to the points 61-65, andthen these spreading points move up to the points 72, the next course having been completed and the points now being in position to again shift to the right during the knitting-of the succeeding course. Thus,

.the point 72 of Fig. 13B coincides with the point of Fig. 13A. 1

the plain loops have been stretched and after they areheld in the stretched condition by the knockover bits whilethe points enter into the loops, the knockover bits move from. the position shown in Fig. 6A to the position shown in Fig. 7A. 'This movement is indicated in Fig. 14 between the points 76 and 77. When the knockover bits have reached the point shown in Fig. 7A, they move downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 14, to the point 78, and this position of the knockover bits is shown in Fig. 9A where they have descended to an elevation low enough to allow the points to move over the knockover bits without, contacting the latter. After the points have moved over the'knockover bits, the latter move upwardly to thepoint 79, and at this time the knockover bits have the position shown in Fig. A where they support the fabric while the points move downwardly and the needles also move downwardly slightly and rearwardly into the grooves of the points. During this time the knockover bits move upwardly slight and forwardly to the point 80 and then while the needles and points are moving upwardly through the newly formed loops, the knockover bits move downwardly slightly to the point 81 shown in Fig. 14, and when the needles and points have moved upwardly and have almost reached their starting position the knockover bits move back to their starting position from the point 81 of Fig. 14 to the point 75.

A particular feature of the present invention resides in the fact that it is possible to provide fashioning by transferring loops at the end of a given course inwardly to inner loops ofthe course. With the present invention the spreading points are carried by a bar separate from the picot bar. The picot bar when it is in its operating position is located behind the bar which carries the spreading points. Also, when the picot' bar is in its operating position a group of narrowing points are located at each end of the picot bar. With the structure of the present invention it is possible to disengage the picot bar and move it upwardly away from its operating position, which thus leaves a free space between the two sets of narrowing points which therefore can be moved inwardly toward each other through a distance equal to a pair of loops, for example, in order to carry out the narrowing. The narrowing is accomplished according torthe process illustrated in Figs. 15-22, and as may be seen the narrowing points 90 are identical with those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that the bottom ends thereof are curved forwardly, as is required to carry out the fashioning.

As may be seen from Fig. 15, the knockover bits together with the sinkers and dividers maintain the fabric at the desired elevation while the narrowing points 90 move downwardly to press the beards of the needles 37 so as to close these beards, and at the same time the bottom pointed ends of the narrowing points 9th move into the grooves of the needles 37 which receive thefree ends of the beards. The narrowing points 90 together with the needles 37 move downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 16, and then the sinkers and dividers are retracted. It will be noted that at this timethe narrowing points carry the loops which were previously on the needles 37, these loops being located only at the ends of the course. Then the knockover bits move downwardly slightly, and at the same time the points move upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 7 so that the narrowing points can be shifted inwardly and clear the knockover bits. The narrowing points are shifted inwardly a distance of two loops, for example. When they have thus been moved inwardly, the narrowing points are in alignment with different needles, and the two innermost needles of each group of needles which is now in alignment with a group of narrowing points carry loops of the course. At this time the narrowing points descend, as is indicated in Fig. 18, while the knockover bits move up slightly so as to permit the narrowing points to move downwardly with respect to the fabric which is held by the knockover bits, and then the needles move forwardly into the. grooves of the narrowing points, and the bottom ends of the latter close the beards and become located in the grooves of the needles which are now aligned with the narrowing points. The parts then have the position shown' in Fig. '19, and it will be noted that thesinkers and dividers have again been moved forwardly to prevent the fabric from moving upwardly. The narrowing points together with the needles are now moved upwardly, as may be seen from a comparison of Figs. 19 and 20, and then during thisupward movement the narrowing points are moved upwardly away from the needles which continue to move upwardly, as may be seen from Figs. 2l and 22, and the sinkers and dividers are retracted, in preparation for as embodied in knitting the knitting of the next course of fabric. In this way thenarrowing is carried out by transfer of loops, and a very smooth selvedge is provided, which is in great distinction to known non-run fabrics where narrowing is provided only by leaving free loops at the ends of the courses, which does not make a smooth selvedge and which thus does not provide a smooth seam on a stocking.

A stocking made from a blank knitted according to the present invention is shown. in Fig. 23. It will be noted that the stocking shown in Fig. 23 has narrowings 101 distributed therealong at certain parts thereof, in the manner of a conventional full fashioned stocking. Furthermore, the non-run fabric is included throughout the entire stocking from the tip of its toe to the upper part of the stocking where the welt is located.

Fig. 24- shows the blank used to make the stocking shown in Fig. 23. It will be noted that wherever the blank becomes narrower the narrowings 101 are located. The blank shown in Fig. 24 need only beseamed together along its side edges in order to form the stocking shown in Fig. 23.

When knitting in a conventional manner, it is necessary to use the narrowing points when the width of the blank is increased as well as when it is decreased. However, with the present invention it is necessary to use the narrowing points only when the width of the blank decreases. When the width of the blank increases, the increase can be provided simply by allowing the thread carrier to provide thread at the next outermost needles. With the process of the present invention, it will be noted that the spreading of the loops causes them to pass from one needle about the next needle, in contrast to knitting during which conventional plain loops are provided. As a result, when it is desired to Widen the blank this is automatically taken care of by the spreading of a loop about the next outermost needle, and thus it is unnecessary to use the narrowing points for this purpose.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other'types of knitting and article knitted difiering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described of non-run fabrics, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing'in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a process for knitting a non-run fabric, the steps of laying a thread along the rear sides of a group of upwardly extending needles arranged in a row and extending through the loops of a previously completed course; lowering the needles through the latter loops with the thread located in the beards of the needles so as to form plain loops of the next course', moving the completed course and the row of needles away from each other in a substantially horizontal plane in order to stretch the plain loops; inserting a plurality of spreading points downwardly into the newly formed loops, respectively, in a position located forwardly of the needles; shifting the points laterally in one direction through a fraction of the distance between each pair of successive needles and through a distance sufficient to locate the points out of alignment with the needles; moving the needles with the plain loops in the beards thereof forwardly beyond the points; shifting the points laterally in said one direction through the remainder of said distance between each pair of successive needles, so that each point is now in alignment with a needle next to that with which it was aligned when lowered downwardly through a loop; moving the needles rearwardly to the points; and raising the points and needles to locate the points out of the loops and to locate the loops of the finished course below the beards of the needles.

2. In a process for knitting a non-run fabric, the steps of laying a thread along the rear sides of a group of upwardly extending needles arranged in a row and extending through the loops of a previously completed course; lowering the needles through the latter loops with the thread located in the beards of the needles so as to form plain loops of the next course; moving the. completed course and the row of needles away from each other in a substantially horizontal plane in order to stretch the plain loops; inserting a plurality of spreading points downwardly into the newly formed loops, respectively, in a position located forwardly of the needles; shifting the points laterally in one direction through a fraction of the distance between each pair of successive needles and through a distance suflicient to locate the points out of alignment with the needles; moving the needles with the plain loops in the beards thereof forwardly beyond the points; shifting the points laterally in said one direction through the remainder of said distance between each pair of successive needles, so that each' point is now in alignment with a needle next to that with which it was aligned when lowered downwardly through a loop; moving the needles rearwardly to the points; raising the points and needles to locate the points out of the loops and to locate the loops of the finished course below the beards of the needles; and knitting the next succeeding course of the fabric with a repetition of the above steps but with a lateral shifting of the points in an opposite direction.

3. In a process for knitting a non-run fabric, the steps of laying a thread alongthe rear sides'of a group of upwardly extending needles arranged in a row and extending through the loops of a previously completed course; lowering the needles through the latter loops with the thread located in the beards of the needles so as to form plain loops of the next course; moving the completed course and the row of needles away from each other in a substantially horizontal plane in order to stretch the plain loops; inserting a plurality of spreading points downwardly into the newly formed loops, respectively, in a position located forwardly of the needles; shifting the points laterally in one direction through a fraction of the distance between each pair of successive needles and through a distance suflicient to locate the points out of alignment with the needles; moving the needles with the plain loops in the beards thereof forwardly beyond the points; shifting the points laterally in said one direction through the remainder of said distance between each pair of successive needles, so that each point is now in alignment with a needle next to that with which it was aligned when lowered downwardly through a loop; moving the needles rearwardly to the pooints; raising the points and needles to locate the points out of the loops and to locate the loops of the finished course below the beards of the needles; and knitting the next succeeding course of the fabric with a repetition of the above steps but with a lateral shifting of the points in an opposite direction from the position which they have at the end of the knitting of the preceding course.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,856,053 Graenz Apr. 26, 1932 1,859,318 Struve May 24, 1932 1,891,117 Stevenson Dec. 13, 1932 2,016,742 Gastrich Oct. 8, 1935 2,080,223 Gastrich May 11, 1937 2,190,409 Maier Feb. 13, 1940 2,191,883 Fleisher -4 Feb. 27, 1940 2,257,235 Grimm et a1. Sept. 30, 1941 2,270,853 Sheeler Jan. 27, 1942 2,295,793 Kaufman Sept. 15, 1942 2,295,794 Kaufman Sept. 15, 1942 2,313,294 Garric Mar. 9, 1943 2,697,973 Kohler et a1 Dec. 28, 1954 2,716,877 Wickardt Sept. 6, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 142,381 Austria Feb. 15, 1935 

